It's getting colder outside, and if you (like me) live in a milder climate, you may be planning to put your fan or air conditioner into storage soon if you haven't already. But before you do that: clean it. And when you take it out again in the spring? Clean it. If you live in the Sun Belt somewhere? Clean it anyway, probably at least one month.
Over at Wirecutter, I have a new article with some simple guidance on how to clean your fan or air conditioner, which you should do at least once a month. Because if you don't:
A filthy fan or air conditioner is not only less efficient at cooling you down, it's also a potential health risk, especially if you have sensitive lungs or allergies.
"If you don't maintain them well, and everything you breathe is filtering through this gigantic sheet of dust, that's not very helpful," Dr. Richard Lebowitz, a rhinologist in New York City, told The New York Times in 2017.
As someone with asthma and terrible allergies … okay well I don't plan on going into anyone else's house anytime soon because of the ongoing pandemic, but still, I implore you, for my sake: clean your damn HVAC shit.
How to Clean Your Fan or Air Conditioner [Thom Dunn / Wirecutter]
Image: McZusatz / Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA-3.0)
